Heart valve replacement is required when a patient's heart valve becomes diseased or damaged. The heart valve replacement procedure requires that the diseased or damaged heart valve be removed from the patient and replaced with some type of artificial or prosthetic valve. In order to implant the valve, the prosthetic valve must be held in place while the surgeon sutures or attaches the prosthetic heart valve to the annulus of the heart.
A conventional method of attaching a prosthetic valve to the annulus of the heart requires that the surgeon or technician hold the valve in place during the attachment procedure. Due to the limited amount of space in the heart, it is difficult to properly position and hold the valve at the site of the annulus.
In addition, in order to properly align the replacement valve with the annulus and maintain alignment until the valve is securely attached, the procedure normally requires a team of at least two highly skilled people. Thus, one person holds the replacement valve in place while the other person sutures or attaches the replacement valve to the annulus.
Several disadvantages are associated with the abovementioned conventional valve replacement procedure. First, in order to both hold the prosthetic valve in place and securely attach it to the annulus, several people are required to perform the procedure. Thus, the procedure is time and labor inefficient. Next, due to the limited amount of space in the heart, it is difficult to properly align the replacement valve with the annulus and maintain the valve-annulus alignment. Further, due to the number of people required and the limited space available during the procedure, it is difficult for the surgeon or technician to properly view and visually inspect the area where the procedure is being performed. This, in turn, can lead to improper valve-annulus attachment, with increased risk to the patient.